FAQ

Comments Off on FAQ| July 26, 2016

What is the best way to cook pasta?

Always use plenty of water when cooking pasta – at least one quart of water for every quarter pound of pasta. Be sure to use a large enough pot to allow the pasta plenty of room to cook properly. The typical procedure for cooking pasta is to bring 6-8 quarts of water to a boil; add salt; add the pasta, and cook according to the package directions. For our Pronto, no boil, no drain pasta, cook entire box of pasta with 3 cups of water in one pan, over high heat. Typical cooking time for Pronto pasta is about 10 minutes, but please refer to instructions on the package for complete cooking time. Draining is not needed.

How do you measure pasta?

When you cook pasta, 2 ounces of dry pasta per person is a good rule of thumb to follow. What does 2 ounces of dry pasta look like? It depends on the shape. Use the helpful charts in The How to Measure Pasta FAQ to create perfect portions of pasta every time.

How do you judge good quality pasta?

The quality of pasta is very dependent upon the kind of wheat used and the manufacturing process. Barilla uses a blend of the finest durum wheat to produce the semolina that makes our pasta. Barilla’s innovative milling process and methods assure the high quality and excellent cooking properties of our pasta.

What is durum wheat and why is it used to make Barilla pasta?

Durum wheat is a hard wheat that when milled properly produces high-quality semolina. It is high quality because semolina has proteins in it that contain elevated quantities of gluten. These attributes, along with the compact structure of semolina, allow Barilla Pasta to maintain its cooking consistency, delicious flavor, and al dente texture.

Does Barilla Pasta contain nuts, nut products, or soy products?

Barilla’s durum wheat semolina pasta does not contain any nuts, nut products, or soy. The lines used to produce our pastas are not used to make any products containing nuts or soy.

Does Barilla Pasta contain dairy products?

Barilla’s durum wheat semolina pasta does not contain dairy or come in contact with dairy on the lines. Our Chicken Alfredo Microwaveable Meal, Three Cheese sauce as well as our filled Tortellini products do contain dairy as an ingredient.

Is Barilla Pasta a healthy food?

The Mediteranean style of eating is celebrated as one of the healthiest in the world. Pasta is a cornerstone of this lifestyle, and in fact it is eaten regularly in Italy. Pasta is not only an affordable, healthy family meal choice, but also provides a delicious culinary vehicle in which to incorporate more vegetables, legumes and other healthy foods into your eating plan.

Where is Barilla pasta made — in the United States or Italy?

Barilla Pasta that is sold in the United States is made in our plants in Ames, IA and Avon, NY, with a few exceptions. Barilla Tortellini and Barilla Oven Ready Lasagne are made in Italy. Our Barilla Italy products state “Product of Italy, Distributed by Barilla America, Inc.” on the packaging. Barilla opened the Ames plant in 1998 and our Avon plant in 2007. The Barilla family was very concerned about maintaining Barilla’s high quality standards in the new plant. Consequently, the machines used in our Ames and Avon plants are the same as used in our plant in Parma, Italy. The recipe and the wheat blend are the same as that used in Parma, Italy. Barilla purchases its wheat from around the world, ending up with the best wheat available.